A Moment in Time
by MelissaRose85
Summary: Three perspectives of a future moment of Team Seven after Sasuke's return to Konoha. How does each of them deal with the way their lives have turned out? Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura reflect. NaruHina. Hidden SasuSaku. Drabbles.
1. Sasuke

A/N: Drabbles of the three new Sannin, a few years down the road. One moment in time from three perspectives.

Sasuke

It had never been about her. Or him.

In the beginning it had been about power and revenge and hatred. His years with Orochimaru had magnified every need he had for his three emotions. He needed power to defeat Itachi and Orochimaru. He needed revenge on his brother for the death of his clan and on Orochimaru for the detestable things he had made him do. He needed hatred of the two men to keep him going late at night when sadness, loneliness, and despair seemed to creep in from all the edges of the room.

In the middle, with three companions trailing behind him and seeing him as the leader they had longed for, it was about fulfilling goals. His three emotions had gotten him this far, but only the feeling of true fulfillment could ever erase the evil that burned in his heart. He had managed to take down one of his targets, but the real goal of his life still lay ahead of him. Itachi still walked the earth, and he would not be content until he had fulfilled his goal of killing his brother.

In the end it was about acceptance. He had killed his brother and disbanded his group to return to Konoha. He sought personal acceptance of his choice to be like his brother and kill someone of his own blood while he also sought acceptance from the village he had left. If that acceptance had to be won through a time in prison, through torture, through D-Rank missions that were beneath his notice then so be it. He was an Uchiha and Uchiha never break nor bend.

As he watched blonde and pink walk past him, ignoring his very presence after years of being apart, he wondered if it had all been worth it. It may have not been about them, but now it was. They seemed to be the only thing he could not overcome. Their acceptance did not come to him like he thought it would. They had moved on with their lives and he was not included.

He watched Naruto greet his wife, the Hyuuga heiress, with a happy smile and a kiss, and he watched Sakura laugh at some private joke between the three. And he just kept thinking that maybe it should have been about them. Maybe then he wouldn't be alone anymore.


	2. Naruto

Everything had turned out just how he wanted it.

Well, maybe not everything. But he would make it, alright.

He had become the strongest ninja in Konoha; a well-respected and very-much-liked-thank-you-very-much friend to just about every shinobi in Fire Country. He had taken down the Akatsuki, beat his sensei, and become the Rokudaime Hokage. He had a beautiful wife that was as sweet as a woman could be and loved his outgoing personality. Ramen supply had gotten better, and his son seemed to love the noodles just as much as he did, which was a lot! His Sakura-chan was still by his side in everything he did, pushing him to do his best and always make her proud of her friend, her brother.

So why couldn't one little piece fall into place to make his life the heaven he had always known it would be? Gaara had told him that Sasuke just didn't care, that he was a moron for even worrying about the "traitor of Konoha." He personally thought that Sasuke just had some stick shoved way too far up his ass and needed it rasengan-ed out. Gaara at least got a laugh out of that, until he suggested the same to the Kazekage with sand replacing the stick. He swore his arm still hurt at the thought of the sand's grip on him.

He watched as Sakura and Hinata laughed at something the baby had done that day and discussed their latest troublemaking patient in the hospital. He listened as they discussed her mission to Suna the next week. He smiled and put in a word or two at the right times to make them think he was listening while eating his ramen; really, he was watching as his best friend, his Sakura-chan, stole glances at the dark haired man across Ichiraku. The dark-haired man assumed that no one saw his glances towards them, but he was wrong.

He wasn't the same blonde idiot everyone thought he was at twelve. He was a new observant blonde idiot.

He would fix it, he silently promised to his friend. He knew his Sakura-chan and he knew she was angry, pissed really, but he vowed to Sasuke that he would fix it. Everything would be right before he knew it. It wasn't for him, or for Sasuke. His Sakura-chan was hurting and it was his job to fix her like she patched him up after every fight. And he took his job seriously.


	3. Sakura

She was no longer the weak little girl they knew.

She had worked her ass off to become the butt-kicking kunoichi that was wanted by so many rival shinobi nations. Her name was in so many bingo books it was unreal. She had grown from a little girl that no one thought would ever amount to anything in the ninja world to a woman who could kick the Hokage's ass three times a day if needed. She hurled trees, boulders, and occasionally kisses to get whatever information she needed.

She became a strong kunoichi to prove herself, but also to prove to a certain Uchiha that overlooking her was a big mistake. When she left Konoha at 17 to train with a friend of her shishou she had only one goal in mind: become strong enough to bring him back. But five years under the instruction of legendary swordfighters had taught her that the way of the sword was not for personal gain; a real swordfighter used their techniques to protect and to honor. So she gave up her dreams of ever finding Sasuke, realizing that he used his techniques for personal gain and to her that meant he had no honor. He put himself before the whole.

She didn't treat him when he came in wounded and she didn't show up at his trial to plead for him. Sasuke Uchiha put himself before his team, so this team member would not put him before what remained of their team. Instead of standing by Sasuke during his most difficult day she had Sai train with her. She felt terrible for deserting Naruto, but in his typical way he assured her it was alright. He understood her like no one else. He didn't push her to follow his lead and side with Sasuke. He knew he had her support and that was what mattered.

Now she sat at Ichiraku with the most important person to her and his family while stealing glances at their former team member. She knew Naruto was scheming to patch things up somehow, but she wouldn't allow it.

She was stronger than that.

She might feel his eyes on her back for the rest of her life, and her heart might bleed for the dark-haired Uchiha forever. She didn't care if she died single. She only wanted to die strong, upholding her personal views of honor. She had always been told the path of a true fighter was paved in misery. Well, she was a true fighter.


End file.
